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Opioid Litigation Media Update 2/22/18
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Oxycontin Maker Purdue Pharma Will Stop Marketing the Drug to U.S. Doctors
Feb 11, 2018 | Fortune
By David Z. Morris
Purdue Pharma will no longer target U.S. doctors in its efforts to sell OxyContin, a prescription opioid whose overprescription fueled America’s opioid crisis — and made billions for Purdue’s founding family. -
OxyContin maker cuts sales staff, won't hawk drug to docs
Feb 11, 2018 | USA Today
By John Bacon
The pharmaceutical company that produces the painkiller OxyContin is slashing its sales staff and says it will halt, effective Monday, promotion of opioids to physicians and other health care professionals. -
Makers of OxyContin Say They Will No Longer Market to Doctors in Stunning Reversal (EDITORIAL)
Feb 11, 2018 | The Root
By Angela Helm
One would like to think that the company that makes the powerful painkiller OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors because the county is in the midst of a serious opioid epidemic—a big part of which was caused by the painkillers. -
Purdue Pharma: “We’re Not Going to See the Doctor” (EDITORIAL)
Feb 11, 2018 | National Pain Report
By Ed Coghlan
The government pressure on opioid prescribing is having a profound effect. -
OxyContin maker says it will no longer market opioid to doctors
Feb 11, 2018 | Fox 32 (IL)
By Staff
In a surprise reversal, the maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said Saturday that it will stop promoting opioid drugs to doctors. -
OxyContin Maker Ends Industry-Changing Strategy
Feb 11, 2018 | Newser
By Staff
The medical website STAT sees it as the "end of an era"—the maker of OxyContin is going to stop promoting the opioid to doctors. As Bloomberg reports, Purdue Pharma is cutting its sales staff in half to 200 employees and will no longer send representatives to doctors' offices. The move comes as Purdue attempts to shift its reputation from being one of the culprits in the opioid epidemic to being one of the companies trying to curtail it. The development also comes as Purdue faces dozens of lawsuits that accuse it of getting Americans hooked on the painkiller with the help of its aggressive marketing. -
OxyContin maker Purdue cuts sales team, won't market opioids
Feb 11, 2018 | United Press International
By Daniel Uria
Purdue Pharma, makers of the prescription drug OxyContin, announced it is decreasing its sales staff and will no longer market opioid drugs to doctors. -
Opioid Maker Says It Won't Market In Doctors' Offices Anymore
Feb 11, 2018 | Newsy
By Gabrielle Ware
A drugmaker says it will no longer market its opioid products in doctors' offices after facing backlash for the way the industry promotes the addictive drugs.
Purdue Pharma
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Oxycontin Maker Purdue Pharma Will Stop Marketing the Drug to U.S. Doctors
Feb 11, 2018 | Fortune
By David Z. Morris
Purdue Pharma will no longer target U.S. doctors in its efforts to sell OxyContin, a prescription opioid whose overprescription fueled America’s opioid crisis — and made billions for Purdue’s founding family.
As reported by the Wall Street Journal, Purdue will continue selling the drug, but will no longer send salespeople to doctors’ offices to promote it. Purdue will cut its U.S. sales staff by more than half.
The move comes as opioid addiction continues to take a devastating toll on large swathes of the United States. Deaths from drug overdoses accelerated sharply in 2016 and 2017, and are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50. Many of those overdoses are attributed to other opioids, including fentanyl and heroin, which OxyContin users often switch to after becoming addicted to the painkiller.
The boom in OxyContin prescriptions, and the resulting expansion of the deadly abuse of opioids, has been consistently blamed on Purdue’s aggressive and misleading marketing of the drug. Purdue for years made the case that OxyContin was less addictive than other opioid painkillers, and that the risks of opioid addiction in general were overblown — claims partly rooted in a decades-old anecdotal letter rather than scientific research.
In 2007, Purdue Pharma and three of its executives pleaded guilty to criminal charges of misrepresenting their product’s addictiveness, and paid a total of $635 million in fines.
Purdue’s decision to entirely stop marketing the drug in the U.S. comes amid a new wave of legal action, reminiscent of the legal campaign against tobacco companies in the 1990s. States including Montana, New Jersey, and Alabama , as well as some cities, have sued Purdue, claiming that the opioid epidemic has reduced lifespans and caused massive social and economic damage. Costs of opioid addiction to the U.S. economy have been estimated to be as high as $78.5 billion.
Growing awareness of Purdue’s handling of OxyContin has also recently attracted scrutiny of the Sacklers, the family that controls the privately held firm. The Sacklers’ philanthropy has left their name prominently displayed across dozens of museums and universities, but they have carefully avoided public association with OxyContin, which reportedly generated the bulk of their wealth.
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OxyContin maker cuts sales staff, won't hawk drug to docs
Feb 11, 2018 | USA Today
By John Bacon
The pharmaceutical company that produces the painkiller OxyContin is slashing its sales staff and says it will halt, effective Monday, promotion of opioids to physicians and other health care professionals.
The decision by Purdue Pharma comes as the industry battles an avalanche of lawsuits across the nation related to an epidemic of opioid abuse.
“We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers," Purdue Pharma said in a statement.
Indra Cidambi, medical director at the Center for Network Therapy detox program in New Jersey, said she was encouraged by Purdue's announcement. But she warned that tightening the prescription supply already has illegal drug dealers turning out more pills that look like branded prescription meds but can be even more dangerous.
"The decision by a manufacturer to stop pushing opioid pain medications is late, but better late than never," Cidambi told USA TODAY. "Even if we save one life due to this decision, it is worth it."
Purdue's head of medical affairs, Monica Kwarcinski, sent a letter to prescribers updating the company's efforts to support responsible opioid use.
"Effective Monday, February 12, 2018, our field sales organization will no longer be visiting your offices to engage you in discussions about our opioid products," Kwarcinski said in the letter, which was released to media outlets. "Requests for information about our opioid products will be handled through direct communication with the highly experienced health care professionals that comprise our Medical Affairs department."
Purdue said in a statement that it is reducing its sales force by more than 50%. The remaining 200 sales reps will focus on non-opioid drugs such as Symproic, the company said. Symproic is used to treat opioid-related constipation.
The company said it has consistently followed opioid guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, which include a recommendation that opioids not be the first option for chronic pain.
Purdue, a privately held company based in Stamford, Conn., has been slammed with lawsuits claiming the company has downplayed OxyContin's addiction risk. Opioid litigation increased sharply in 2017 when hundreds of cities, counties and states sued opioid makers, wholesalers, distributors and marketers.
The lawsuits accuse the companies of, among other things, misleading prescribers and the public by marketing opioids as a safe substitute for non-addictive pain medications such as ibuprofen. Opioids also have been blamed for a resurgence in heroin use.
The government claims the results have been tragic — and left government agencies with millions in social and health care costs.
Purdue said in a statement that it "vigorously denies" allegations of misconduct, adding that its products account for only "approximately 2%" of all opioid prescriptions.
"We are deeply troubled by the opioid crisis, and we are dedicated to being part of the solution," the company said.
Opioids are substances that work on the nervous system in the body or specific receptors in the brain to reduce the intensity of pain. The CDC says more than three out of five drug overdose deaths involve opioids — and that annual deaths from heroin and prescription opioids have increased more than five-fold since 1999, including 42,000 deaths in 2016.
Purdue and three former executives pleaded guilty in federal court a decade ago to criminal charges of misleading the public about the addictive nature of OxyContin, paying more than $630 million in fines and penalties.
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Makers of OxyContin Say They Will No Longer Market to Doctors in Stunning Reversal (EDITORIAL)
Feb 11, 2018 | The Root
By Angela Helm
One would like to think that the company that makes the powerful painkiller OxyContin said it will stop marketing opioid drugs to doctors because the county is in the midst of a serious opioid epidemic—a big part of which was caused by the painkillers.
More likely though, it’s because many cities, states and municipalities are suing the big pharma as their resources are strained in the fight against rampant opioid use and abuse.
On Saturday, Purdue Pharmaceuticals released a statement saying it had eliminated more than half its sales staff this week and will no longer send sales representatives to doctors’ offices to discuss opioid drugs.
CBS News reports that OxyContin has long been the world’s top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for privately-held company.
The OxyContin pill, released in 1995, produces a heroin-like high when the pills are crushed and snorted or injected. In 2007, Purdue and three executives pleaded guilty and agreed to pay more than $600 million for misleading the public about the risks of OxyContin. But they kept selling it—and that $600 million was a drop in the bucket compared to what the company was raking in.
Purdue and other opioid drugmakers and pharmaceutical distributors may finally be feeling the heat from continue local and state lawmakers saying the drugmakers misled doctors and patients about the risks of opioids and encouraged overprescribing.
Last year, Mayor Ras Baraka of Newark, N.J., sued 11 opioid manufacturers — including Purdue—accusing the company of deceptive advertising.
“Every aspect of our city has felt the severe ramifications of the opioid epidemic, not just the substantial financial impact, including all the services we provide to residents, including public health, public assistance, law enforcement, emergency care and services for families and children,” the mayor said.
Good for us, except now the genie’s out the bottle.And most experts say the drug companies will just push the opioids in other countries where there are fewer regulations.
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Purdue Pharma: “We’re Not Going to See the Doctor” (EDITORIAL)
Feb 11, 2018 | National Pain Report
By Ed Coghlan
The government pressure on opioid prescribing is having a profound effect.
Now comes word that Purdue Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the opioid painkiller OxyContin, is no longer actively marketing opioid products.
The company said it is reducing its sales staff by more than half, and that its remaining salespeople will no longer visit doctor’s offices to promote their product. Instead, the company said it will direct prescribers to materials published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the office of the U.S. surgeon general.
“We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers,” Purdue said in a statement.
On its website, Purdue—which is a privately held company—is positioning itself as still wanting to be a player in pain management going forward.
“Solving the crisis will take a broad set of stakeholders all doing their part to make a difference, Purdue included. We were the first company to introduce an opioid pain medication with abuse-deterrent properties and labeling claims, and we are investing in research to develop non-opioid pain medications. We are committed to being part of the solution by partnering with local law enforcement, state and local government agencies, and community groups across the country.”
Purdue has come under fire in recent years for the way it promoted its products to physicians—particularly family practice doctors. Sales of OxyContin and other opioids have fallen recently amid pressure from regulators, insurers, and the general public.
The company has been taking out full page ads in major newspapers.
“We manufacture prescription opioids,” reads one of the ads. “How could we not help fight the prescription and illicit opioid abuse crisis?”
Purdue has been sued by many state attorneys general as part of the battle against opioids that has accelerated in the last two years since the DEA and CDC have ratcheted up regulatory pressure on the prescription and supply of opioids.
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OxyContin maker says it will no longer market opioid to doctors
Feb 11, 2018 | Fox 32 (IL)
By Staff
In a surprise reversal, the maker of the powerful painkiller OxyContin said Saturday that it will stop promoting opioid drugs to doctors.
Manufacturer Purdue bowed to a key demand of lawsuits that blame the Connecticut-based company for helping trigger the opioid epidemic.
The company's statement said it eliminated more than half its sales staff this week and will no longer send sales representatives to doctors' offices to discuss opioid drugs.
Its remaining sales staff of about 200 will focus on other medications.
"The genie is already out of the bottle," said Dr. Andrew Kolodny, director of opioid policy research at Brandeis University and an advocate for stronger regulation of opioid drug companies. "Millions of Americans are now opioid-addicted because the campaign that Purdue and other opioid manufacturers used to increase prescribing worked well."
He said Purdue's decision is helpful, but it won't make a major difference unless other opioid drug companies do the same.
"We would have more success in encouraging cautious prescribing if drug companies stopped promoting aggressive prescribing," he told the Times.
U.S. deaths linked to opioids have quadrupled since 2000 to roughly 42,000 in 2016, or about 115 lives lost per day. More than 7 million Americans are estimated to have abused OxyContin since its 1996 debut, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The report said states where OxyContin abuse rates were the highest "experienced the largest increases in heroin deaths," a research from Penn’s Wharton School and Rand said.
OxyContin has long been the world's top-selling opioid painkiller, bringing in billions in sales for the privately-held company.
Eventually, Purdue acknowledged that its promotions exaggerated the drug's safety and minimized the risks of addiction.
"They are still doing this abroad," Kolodny said of their international arm Mundipharma. "They are following the same playbook that they used in the United States."
Purdue and other opioid drugmakers and pharmaceutical distributors continue defending themselves against hundreds of local and state lawsuits seeking to hold the industry accountable for the drug overdose epidemic.
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OxyContin Maker Ends Industry-Changing Strategy
Feb 11, 2018 | Newser
By Staff
The medical website STAT sees it as the "end of an era"—the maker of OxyContin is going to stop promoting the opioid to doctors. As Bloomberg reports, Purdue Pharma is cutting its sales staff in half to 200 employees and will no longer send representatives to doctors' offices. The move comes as Purdue attempts to shift its reputation from being one of the culprits in the opioid epidemic to being one of the companies trying to curtail it. The development also comes as Purdue faces dozens of lawsuits that accuse it of getting Americans hooked on the painkiller with the help of its aggressive marketing.
As STAT observes, Purdue "changed the paradigm" on opioids by being a pioneer in the strategy of sending reps directly to doctors and pitching the pill. Critics seem a little underwhelmed by the latest move. "Overall, the impact will be small because the genie is out of the bottle," Andrew Kolodny of the Opioid Policy Research at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management tells NBC News. "But if other opioid manufacturers would do the same, it would have a bigger effect." (The move follows a major move against OxyContin by a large insurer.)
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OxyContin maker Purdue cuts sales team, won't market opioids
Feb 11, 2018 | United Press International
By Daniel Uria
Purdue Pharma, makers of the prescription drug OxyContin, announced it is decreasing its sales staff and will no longer market opioid drugs to doctors.
The pharmaceutical company said it will cut its sales force by more than 50 percent, leaving about 200 people remaining in the department.
"We have restructured and significantly reduced our commercial operation and will no longer be promoting opioids to prescribers," Purdue said in a statement.
Purdue's head of medical affairs, Monica Kwarcinski, said the company also plans to run all questions through its medical affairs department as part of its efforts to support "responsible" opioid use.
"Effective Monday, February 12, 2018, our field sales organization will no longer be visiting your offices to engage you in discussions about our opioid products," Kwarcinski wrote in a letter to prescribers. "Requests for information about our opioid products will be handled through direct communication with the highly experienced healthcare professionals that comprise our Medical Affairs department."
The restructuring comes amid lawsuits filed by Ohio, Alabama and Washington attorneys general who allege Purdue has exacerbated the opioid drug addiction crisis through its sale and marketing of OxyContin.
The lawsuits say Purdue misled prescribers and the public by marketing opioids as a safe substitute for non-addictive pain medications such as ibuprofen and contributed to an increase in heroin use.
Up to one in four people who received prescriptions for opioid drugs such as OxyContin struggle with opioid addiction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says.
Purdue "vigorously denies" any misconduct, saying it has consistently followed the CDC's opioid guidelines including not recommending opioids as a first option.
"We are deeply troubled by the opioid crisis, and we are dedicated to being part of the solution," the company said.
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Opioid Maker Says It Won't Market In Doctors' Offices Anymore
Feb 11, 2018 | Newsy
By Gabrielle Ware
A drugmaker says it will no longer market its opioid products in doctors' offices after facing backlash for the way the industry promotes the addictive drugs.
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma said it will tell doctors about its decision Monday. As part of the plan, the company has cut its sales force in half.
Opioids killed more than 42,000 people in 2016 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 40 percent of those deaths involved a prescription opioid.
Doctors who want information on opioids will now need to contact the company's medical affairs department.
Purdue Pharma
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